Sometimes life is just not fair!

After throwing for nearly 5,000 yards and 51 touchdowns in his first two seasons at SMU, quarterback Justin Willis was beat out for the starting position by incoming freshman Bo Levi Mitchell last season. Instead of pouting, giving up, and causing the team trouble, the former Freshman All-American was humble! He accepted it, and eventually got playing time down the stretch as a wide receiver.

A lot of people speculated that Willis would leave the program this off-season, but he didn't. He continued to work hard and continued to be humble. He committed to becoming a wide receiver. He lost 30 pounds and increased his speed. Going into spring practices, SMU coaches were excited to have a new weapon in the receiving core. Considered once a big time play-maker at quarterback, Willis was taking reps with the first team offense in week one of spring practices, and looking good.

But then the unfortunate happened. Last week, the senior injured his ankle diving for a ball in 7 on 7 team drills. No one has been able to comment on what exactly happened to the ankle, but what we do know is Willis will be out about 4 months. That puts him back on the field in August. Right in time for the start of fall practices, but how much will he lose this spring? How much will he lose this summer in voluntary workouts? How long will it take for him to get in football shape when he does get back?

Willis has been nothing but a team player during this past year and a half. He has told me that he feels Coach Jones knows what is best for the team and him. I feel bad for Justin Willis. I hope that he is blessed with a speedy recovery. He has worked too hard and been to cooperative to lose a senior year due to an injury.

Sometimes life is just not fair!

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